A Moment of Truth
by GrayGoddess
Summary: Elizabeth sneaks to where Jack and Will sleep on the Black Pearl this is somewhere in the middle of POTC2 and tries out the compass. The rest is meant to be read.


**I don't own these characters:o :o So don't steal them, cause they're not even mine.**

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Elizabeth lit a candle and crept through the dark to where Captain Jack Sparrow was sleeping. He looked quite soiled, a dirty bottle of rum in one hand, which was hanging over the edge of his hammock, his other hand resting on his stomach.

She placed the candle on a stool nearby. Then she slid her small hand into the pocket of the sleeping Jack and pulled it back out again, this time holding a compass. Sitting down on a barrel and pressing her knees together, she thought about what she really wanted. She then flipped it open and the arrow flew around for a moment before coming to rest on the sleeping form of Will.

Elizabeth smiled, satisfied, thanked the Lord, and then closed it and made to put it back, but it slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground. She froze, her ears pricked for even the tiniest of sounds, before bending down to retrieve it.

It had sprang open when it fell, and Elizabeth's hand halted right by the compass, her eyes wide. The arrow was now pointing to Jack.

"What on earth…?"

She picked it up quickly and snapped it shut, her heart hammering. One moment, it was pointing to Will, and the next on none other than Jack Sparrow!

Well, she had had her small feelings toward him. And just a few months ago, alone on an island, drinking rum, she had had the time of her life, being free from reproach and propriety. But now…

Very slowly, Elizabeth peeped it open again. There was no mistaking it; it was pointing to Jack Sparrow.

Elizabeth looked at his face. She was caught unexpectedly by the overwhelming urge to kiss him. His kisses were better than Will, by far.

What am I thinking? She moaned in her head. You love Will, for heaven's sake you were going to _marry_ Will!

She leaned back and sat back down on the barrel, the compass still in her hand. Leaning her cheek upon the palm of her hand, she tilted her head to the right and stared absently at the bottom of the hammock which held Will. She contemplated Will and Jack, compared them, saw faults in both of them. But who did she love more?

And of course, she might not even _love_ Jack. It seemed to be more a matter of lust than true love.

Elizabeth sighed and tilted her head the other way, still staring at the dirty hammock. She did not even notice when Jack stirred, and finally got up, and noticed her sitting on the barrel, staring glumly at the hammock, and plopped down right next to her, obviously still drunk.

"A bit of rum, love?" he offered the bottle. "Perhaps out on deck where we won't disturb Will."

Will snorted in his sleep, as though he had heard them.

Elizabeth nodded and followed Jack out onto the deck. Leaning over the railing, she let the cool wind bless her face and her eyelids.

"Rum?" he offered again, nearly throwing the bottle overboard. Elizabeth took it quickly and opened it, took a large swig of it, and then stared out into the sea again, her eyes stinging from the sea wind and the tears that were beginning to form.

"Is there anything the matter?" Jack's drunken voice, amazingly enough, brought some comfort to her.

"There are many things," Elizabeth said cautiously. "I suppose I had better tell you."

Jack did not even seem to be listening. He had taken a generous portion of rum and there wasn't much left. Feeling extremely tempted to be lost inside herself, she reached desperately for the bottle.

"Ah, a truly needy person," Jack said, raising a finger. He swayed and then caught himself. Elizabeth drank until it was quite finished, then dropped the bottle at her feet.

"Shall I get more?" It seemed that Jack just wanted an excuse to get more.

"Yes, please," Elizabeth gasped. Jack disappeared, but in a moment, he was back, carrying two bottles of rum.

"One for me, one for you," he said drunkenly, swinging one of the bottles in the air with a great flourish of his arm.

Elizabeth took one of the bottles and drank it gratefully. With each mouthful she became looser, and she had the curious sensation of being in a very fuzzy blanket.

"So, you want to pour out your troubles, love?"

Elizabeth nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Shoot," Jack said casually, and he took a drink of the rum.


End file.
